I thought this year for Halloween I’d put together a list of 5 of the best Halloween rum cocktails I could find (some are rum versions of other popular Halloween cocktails) so I hope you enjoy them!

1. The Ghostini
2. The Bloodtini
3. The Devils Handshake
4. The Vampire Kiss
5. The Electric Chair

Hope you enjoy & have a fun, safe Halloween – if you have a Halloween favourite please share it in the comments below!

Spook your friends with these haloween rum cocktails

Made with 1 ounce of brewed espresso, this little kick start is perfect to get the night started right, or as a pick me up when the yawns start coming out toward the end of an evening.

Originally made with cachaça, our version uses Matuslaem Platino which actually works well with all the other electric flavors as there’s a lot to take in! When you try this Halloween special, it will shock you!

Ingredients:

• 1 ounce brewed espresso
• 1 ounce chocolate-flavored iced coffee
• 1 ounce Matuslaem Platino
• 1 ounce Amaretto

Preparation:

Fill a blender with ice and add all your ingredients. Blend until the mixture is thick; pour into a cocktail glass. and Garnish with a plastic spider for added effect!

Original recipe source: NY Daily News

Another dracula favourite, sipping on this one will make your skin crawl… in a good way!

Vampire Kiss Rum Cocktail

Ingredients:

• 2 parts passion fruit-flavored rum
• 1 part tonic water
• Splash of cranberry juice
• Black cherry, for garnish

Preparation:

Shake all ingredients with ice. Srain into a cocktail glass and garnish with a black cherry and a little bat, if you have one.

The ginger purée really gives this drink a kick along by adding a subtle sweet yet spicy taste. The egg whites create a smooth texture and helps to bring all of the flavours together.

But if you’re not a big fan of egg whites, or its just to hard for you to get right, you can give that part a miss with minimal impact to the drink.

Photo Courtesy: © Shannon Graham

Prep Time: 4 minutes

Total Time: 4 minutes

Ingredients:

• 1 1/2 parts Havana Club Anejo Blanco
• 3/4 parts lime juice
• 1/2 part simple syrup
• 1 part pineapple juice
• 1 tsp sweet ginger puree or ground fresh ginger
• 1/4 part egg white
• Lime wedge for garnish

Preparation:

1. Dry shake vigorously, ice and shake again.
2. Strain onto fresh ice in a highball glass.
3. Garnish with a lime wedge.

Original Tequila recipe can be found at cocktails.about.com.

The Bloodtini is simply a fun cocktail for Halloween  parties and the acai juice provides a tasty little healthy bonus, but when paired with rum, the healthiness is definitely up for debate. Throw in a dash of sparking wine and this drink gets just a little bit fancier!

Img source: http://thelondonkitchen.posterous.com/

Prep Time: 3 minutes

Total Time: 3 minutes

Ingredients:

• 2 oz Sailor Jerry Spiced Rum
• 1 oz acai juice
• 1/2 oz fresh lime juice
• Top with fresh sparkling wine
• Lime wedge for garnish

Preparation:

1. Combine Sailor Jerry Spiced Rum, Acai juice and fresh lime with fresh ice in a cocktail shaker and shake.
2. Strain into a chilled martini glass and top with champagne.
3. Serve with a fresh lime wedge.

Original Acai VeeV recipe of this cocktail can be found at cocktails.about.com.

The Ghostini has a similar foundation to many other dessert-worthy cocktails, with an Irish cream base, with caramel, and vanilla rum.

In this rum cocktail, it is the pumpkin transforms the drink into a pumpkin pie in a glass, complete with cookie rim and slithery gummy snake garnish.

The Rum Ghostini gives this adult treat a childish appeal.

Image source: http://cocktails.about.com/

Prep Time: 4 minutes

Total Time: 4 minutes

Yield: 1 Cocktail

Ingredients:

• 1 ounce Bailey’s Irish Cream with a hint of Caramel
• 3 ounces CruzanVanilla Rum
• 2 ounces pumpkin spice liqueur
• Crushed Oreo cookies for rimming
• Gummy worms for garnish
• Dry ice for garnish (optional)

Preparation:

1. Rim a chilled cocktail glass with crushed cookies.
2. Pour the liquid ingredients into a cocktail shaker filled with ice.
3. Shake well.
4. Strain into the prepared glass and add dry ice if desired.
5. Garnish with a few gummy worms.

Original recipe source:  http://cocktails.about.com/od/cocktailrecipes/tp/halloween_cktl.01.htm

If I had to describe Cuba in 4 words they would be Communism, Cars, Cigars and Rum.

As I’m writing for all of you Rum enthusiasts I’ll try to stick to that topic! Well, what can I say? I went to Cuba for Spring break with two words in mind; beaches and cocktails.

I had very little knowledge about the country and the effects of the communist regime that shaped the Cuban culture of today. Not to say I ever felt endangered of having to surrender all of my belongings to the State; but I did gain a sense of the suppression & somewhat empty motivation to change as a society.

Nevertheless, the absence of 20^th Century materialism was refreshing. Its no wonder the Cuban people immerse themselves with family, friends and simple pleasures in life, like puffing on a fine cigar and sipping on rum based cocktails as the sun goes down.

Havana is the place to visit if you ever travel to Cuba; it is incredible. The architecture looks as though time just stood still in the 50’s and sadly but realistically it pretty much did. Due to such high levels of poverty they are unable to afford to renovate the old buildings so over the years most have become dilapidated and some uninhabitable to my dismay.

Havana (locally known as Habana Veija) is also home to the one and only El Floridita, where the Daiquiri was apparently invented. As my friends and I were on student budgets we couldn’t afford to pay equivalent $20 for a single daiquiri. Luckily for us though, we made friends with some jolly (yet slightly creepy) locals outside of the bank who let us in on a local secret.

Three doors down and away from the main street is another bar; albeit not so classy but you get much more bang for your buck! And I can vouch for that. Best daiquiri I’ve tasted! Plus for an added bonus, they had salsa dancing! Unfortunately, I’ve forgotten the name (few too many daiquiris I think) but every adventure is different so I suggest talking to the locals and finding out the best places to go from the best people that know.

The most interesting rum drink I tried in Cuba was at a microbrewery located in Havana called Factoria Plaza Vieja. The drink consisted of half a mojito and half a home-made beer, in a tall glass over ice (see picture). I can’t say I’ll be rushing to try making one of those at home but it’s a must do when in Cuba!

The most popular rum drank throughout Cuba is Havana Club. And for only $1.50 equivalent per 750ml bottle who wouldn’t want to bring as much as they can home! Unfortunately, there’s approximately a 2-liter limit so try to make the most of it while you’re there.

If you have a chance to drive around Cuba you’ll see the effects that the sugar cane plantations had on the once beautiful rainforest. As you probably already know rum is made from sugar cane and it was one of Cuba’s main exports until other countries began producing it for less. Although the Havana Club factory looks abandoned and falling down from the outside they do still produce rum and they also run tours, which I highly recommend.

 All in all, Cuba was awesome! Just the right mix of cultural experiences, beautiful beaches and delicious cocktails that all rum enthusiasts and the like should experience at least once in a lifetime!

The Recipe

Preparation Time: 10 minutes (+ soaking time)

Ingredients (makes about 40)

• 60ml (1/2 cup) rum (vary to taste)
• 100g (1/2 cup) raisins
• 400g dark chocolate, coarsely chopped (or cheat & use choc pieces)
• 1 x 395g can sweetened condensed milk
• 50g unsalted butter

Method

1. Line a shallow 21cm x18 cm cake pan with non-stick baking paper.
2. Soak the rum and raisins in a small bowl for at least an hour so raisins can absorb the rum.
3. Gently melt the chocolate, condensed milk and butter in a bowl over a saucepan half-filled with simmering water. Stir until chocolate melts and the mixture is smooth & glossy.
4. Stir in the raisin mixture & combine.
5. Spoon into the lined pan and use the back of a spoon to smooth. Set aside to cool.
6. Refrigerate for at least 2 hours or until firm.
7. Cut into squares and store in an airtight container.

Viola! Impress the relatives this Christmas with your culinary rum delights!

Their review of Mount Gay Extra Old Rum went along the lines of “rich aromas of dried coconut, banana and raisins, caramel butter cream, toasted pecans, and brown spices follow through on a round, vibrant entry to a slightly tannic, dry-yet-fruity full body with cascading waves of toffee, oak, and spice flavors and a long, lingering fade.”

I don’t know about you but when I drink Mount Gay sure I enjoy the experience but I am not sure that I tasting the whole fruit and nut bit!

Rum Tasting Styles

This got me thinking about rum tasting, and how tasters actually went about describing rum in those words. I found another rum review site and decided to see how that one described the same rum. Others described the same rum as having tastes of brown sugar, spice, vanilla, oak, and, of course, bourbon. Lingering burnt wood and molasses. Very complex and robust. Bite is firm and intense, but pure – not from immaturity or improperly added spice. A small splash of cool, clean water evokes an additional taste of creamy bitter chocolate and maybe a very faint fruitiness.”

Okay, now it seems to be getting a little far! or maybe not?

Varnished Wood?

On the other hand they wrote about another favourite, Angostura “1919″ 8 Year Old Rum “chocolate phosphate, varnished wood, and creme brulee aromas. A silky entry leads to a dry-yet-fruity medium-to-full body of butter caramel, roasted pecans, brown spices, and lacquered wood. Finishes with a pleasant pink peppercorn, toffee, and cigar box fade” Again, lots of fruit and nuts, but this time a little wood and cigars thrown in.

Ridiculously Approachable!

El Machete describes the same rum as ”toasted caramel, sweet molasses, ripe banana and vanilla. It’s this combination of sweet aromas that makes 1919 ridiculously approachable. On the tongue it is not as sweet, but it is still excellent. Smooth and sweet, this is the crème brûlée of rums. Round, creamy, and warm, the tastes are classic and fairly uncomplicated: lightly burnt caramel, brown sugar, toffee, and vanilla with some smoky alcohol”.

This got me thinking about the whole rum tasting process and how rum tasters arrive at these conclusions. Looking at various sites, the one that seems to encapsulate the whole rum tasting process best, in simplest terms, was El Machete.

Bitter Sweet

He described the whole tasting process in a simple clear way that even I could follow! I’d suggest for you to read all about it in detail on his blog under the heading The Tasting Process but his site is no longer online. But in a nutshell he said that rum is first judged on its sweetness, and then “its balance according to bitterness, spiciness, acidity….the key to tasting is first allowing the nuances to present themselves … then actively and methodically looking for and identifying common flavours.

Identity Crisis…

For example, I may taste a general sweetness that possibly hints at fruit. I try to break it down more precisely: is it citrus in origin? Stone fruit? Melon? Berry? Once I feel I am able to confidently identify the family of fruits, I will try, if possible, to identify it further to a specific fruit.”

What’s the first thing you look for when tasting a rum?

I was leaning against the bar at The Bull Bar of The Stuart Arms in Alice Springs late one hot Saturday afternoon in 1970. I had just finished my eleventeenth beer and was so bloated I felt I was going to explode. The lovely young lady behind the bar suggested I try rum on the rocks with a little cola. Now, the people who have never tasted rum believe it is only for sailors and prospectors who drink it out of pannikins.

Those that have had rum only know two types: Bacardi for the girls and Bundy for the boys. Many who have tried the latter cannot understand how anyone could drink rum. Fortunately for me, I was given Goddards Gold Braid rum, a genuine West Indian rum from Georgetown Barbados. My life has never been the same.

Picture courtesy of www.rum.cz

When I returned to Adelaide I discovered that Goddards was distilled in Adelaide by G.F Cleland & Sons who at one stage made their own rum.

From that time, I became a regular Goddard’s drinker. Occasionally, I would try other rums but good ones were hard to come by back then. I can recall that Beenleighs had a gold rum out for a while which was quite nice but that soon disappeared.

I managed to convert my two brothers to rum drinkers but back in the 70’s most people thought I was a bit of a hard case when I brought out a bottle of rum which I took everywhere.

two brothers to rum drinkers but back in the 70’s most people thought I was a bit of a hard case when I brought out a bottle of rum which I took everywhere.

In 1985 I moved to Darwin to live. I was faced with the terrible prospect of drinking Bundy because that was about all you could get up there. Any visitors from Adelaide were implored to bring supplies but it was never enough.

I finally convinced the manger of a local liquor shop to start bringing in Goddards. When I converted some of my Darwin mates to rum, the shop was doing quite a good trade in Goddards. Then one day, no more Goddards. Clelands had stopped distilling it and it was gone. On a trip down south, looking in every liquor shop to see if they had any old stock of Goddards, I discovered Coruba.

I have been drinking this ever since. In the last ten years, the range of rums available in Australia has increased dramatically. I have at least two dozen different rums stored around my house. I have converted so many people to rum drinkers that my wife thinks I am a menace to society (she hates rum). Even my sister is a pretty good rum drinker now. I used to dip my son’s dummy in my rum & coke when he was an infant and now he loves his rum. When I had my first tentative meeting with my future son-in-law I discovered that not only he and his father were Port Adelaide supporters but they were also rum drinkers – instant acceptance!

Because of the heat in Darwin, I learnt to drink out of handles. Now I have a big range of them from a large pewter mug I bought in Malaysia to a German stein which will take a litre.

I am disappointed when I go overseas and go to duty free and find that there is a very small range of rums stuck in a corner and acres of whiskey and brandy. Why can’t we have something like this?!

Duty free!

I was on a cruise a few years back on an English ship and you could purchase Lamb’s Navy Rum in one litre bottles for ten pounds.

It is a lovely drop and my brother-in-law and I managed to get through about one of these a day. We called them ten pounders.

I was in San Francisco earlier this year and I went into the local Safeway supermarket to get some rum. I didn’t recognise many labels, so I just took all their top shelf supply of Zaya Rum which cost about US$34 a bottle.

To my taste, this is about the best rum I have ever had. As far as I can see, it is not available in Australia. I am looking into how I can import it. I brought some back with me but the bottom of the bottles are very thick and weigh heavy!! Luckily, I came back by ship and not plane.

I had a wander about the house recently to list what rums I had. More than I thought!

Coruba
Coruba Gold
Appleton Estate VX (Another of my everyday favourites)
Bicardi
Bicardi Oro
Bicardi 8 y.o.
Bundaberg
Bundaberg Distillers No.3
Bundaberg 8 y.o.
Bundaberg Pure Gold ( Beautiful tasting limited edition. Nearly all gone. Bottle available on  e-bay  for $2,275 right now)
Bundaberg 10 y.o. Master Distiller Collection
Pirate Rum ( Made in Malaysia. The worst rum I have ever tasted)
Favell’s London Dock (Just about as bad as the Pirate Rum. Distilled in Canada)
Captain Morgan
Captain Morgan Spiced Rum
Mount Gay XO
Ron Ancjo Pampero
English Harbour
Angostura 1919
Flor de Cana 7 y.o.
Flor de Cana 18 y.o.
Ron Matusalem Clasico
Ron Zacapa Grand Reserve
Zaya
Amber Estate Reserve
Havana Club Dark
Lamb’s Navy Rum
Inner Circle OP (75.9%)